Save money!  If you are planning a trip to Oslo, save money!  Business Week and ECA International have named Oslo the 7th most expensive city in the world.  Some of the things they look at prices of movie tickets, washing machines, rice, and mineral water. 

Nordea’s cheif economist Steinar Juel explains Oslo’s place on the world’s most expensive cities list with the high cost of living.  Food, transportation, and housing are all quite expensive in Norway.  While Norway is self-sufficient in many ways (i.e. the oil, hydropower, and maritime industries), many commodities must be imported.  Importation, as well as high taxes, means high costs.  Also, an important thing to understand is that while other countries experienced (and are still experiencing) a dramatic decline in the housing market, Norway’s housing market has remained stable. 

Here are a number of prices of items in U.S. dollars (source: Business Week):  keep in mind that some of these items may be more expensive and some may be less expensive, as BM pointed out.  I got the information from Aftenposten online and it came from Business Week.  So, in short, some of the numbers may not be exactly right, but you get the idea-most things are quite expensive.

Movie ticket: 12.84
Quick lunch: 32.65
Washing machine: 808.01
Kilo of rice: 4.40
Can of soft drink: 2.07

And here are a few tips to help you save money when you are in Oslo:

-avoid tour guides for sight seeing.  Either guide yourself or have a friend/relative show you around.

-if you plan to go out for the night, have a few drinks at home.  Alcohol is extremely expensive at bars and restaurants!  I paid nearly $20 for a beer one time on Karl Johans Gate.

-avoid taking taxis.  Use public transportation or walk.

-cook your own food for the most part.  It is very expensive to eat out.  Also, meat is very expensive at the supermarket, so limit your intake, as hard as it is!  I ate a lot of rice, beans, bread, and cheese.

-buy produce at immigrant markets-it’s worth the trip on the Tbane to the east side of Oslo for this.

-If you have a visa and it allows you to do so, get a part-time job!

-be aware of discounts, especially student discounts.

I lived in Oslo for about 9 months and I was very wise with how I spent my money.  It is definitely do-able to live cheaply.  Make a budget!